Earlier this year, Dallas CVB President and CEO Phillip J. Jones and Dallas-Fort Worth Airport CEO Sean Donohue announced the location of the 2016 Global Summit at the close of the 2015 WTTC Global Summit in Madrid, Spain. Jones and Donohue, together with Tom Klein, President and CEO of Sabre Corporation, sit on the 2016 WTTC Global Summit Host Committee.

"We are excited and honored that the WTTC has selected Dallas to gather the world's top travel and tourism executives and can't wait to welcome them April 6-7," said Jones. "This important meeting of elite leaders further puts Dallas on an international stage and confirms our work to position Dallas as a global leader."

"We are extremely pleased to confirm the dates for our upcoming WTTC Global Summit, which will bring together top global leaders from private sector companies within the travel and tourism industry to engage with key public sector leaders," said David Scowsill, president and CEO of the WTTC. "Industry leaders from across the world should make sure they save these dates."

Dallas is only the third U.S. city to host the Global Summit in the event's 15-year history, beating out Lisbon, Portugal, and Bangkok, Thailand, for the 2016 event. Washington, D.C., and Las Vegas are the only other U.S. cities to host the summit.

"The decision to bring this important gathering to Dallas confirms that our city is growing as an international destination, with an increasing number of direct flights out of DFW International Airport," said Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings. "Over the last year and a half, Dallas has hosted the New Cities Summit and the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Now this prestigious global organization has recognized Dallas as a key city within the United States."

The 2011 summit, held in Las Vegas, engaged with key members of the cabinet, including the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary of Commerce, and was a major impetus leading to the president's Executive Order 13597, establishing visa and foreign visitor processing goals and the Task Force on Travel and Competitiveness, charged with developing a national travel and tourism strategy.The two-day event will draw about 500 guests, including international journalists, global tourism ministers and CEOs of major travel and tourism companies.Related Document: WTTC-Global-Summit-Dates-NR.pdf